Byers' great escape

Lying Cabinet minister Stephen Byers was given the red carpet treatment by Tony Blair last night.

Less than an hour after a blustering escape from his biggest political crisis he was welcomed with open arms at 10 Downing Street.

It was an extraordinary show of support for a man who had just gone before the Commons to admit repeated lies to the British public.

To ensure there was no room for misinterpretation, Mr Blair reinforced his invitation with a ringing endorsement of his beleaguered Transport Secretary.

'The Prime Minister is pleased that Stephen Byers has performed so well in the House this afternoon,' said the Premier ' s official spokesman.

Mr Byers's Commons showdown, following 12 days of civil war which has reduced the giant Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions to a laughing stock, was marked by a carefully orchestrated demonstration of support.

Labour MPs cheered him to the echo, enabling him to fend off fierce Opposition calls for his resignation over the Martin Sixsmith fiasco.

MPs heard him grudgingly apologise for giving a misleading 'impression' of his part in the sacking of Mr Sixsmith, his departmental press chief.

The saga began two weeks ago with press reports that Mr Sixsmith had been forced to intervene to prevent Mr Byers's special adviser Jo Moore slipping out a bad news item on the day of Princess Margaret's funeral.

She had already survived a storm over her attempt to 'bury' bad news on September 11.

After days of leaks and conflicting claims, it was announced that both Moore and Sixsmith had resigned. Mr Sixsmith, however, denied resigning and opened a can of worms over Mr Byers's role in the affair.

He denied blocking a face-saving deal under which Mr Sixsmith would be found another Civil Service post. Indeed, he denied even discussing the issue with his department's top civil servant Sir Richard Mottram.

Before the Commons yesterday Mr Byers changed his story completely. He admitted he had told Sir Richard that Mr Sixsmith should be kicked out of the Civil Service.

With six of the most senior members of the Cabinet sitting alongside him in a show of moral support, the Transport Secretary then apologised to the House for lying.

'If my answers on the programme gave the impression that I did not put forward a view, or make clear my views to others inside and outside the department, that is obviously something I regret and I welcome this opportunity in the House to clarify matters,' he said.

Last night the perception that Mr Byers had been determined to see the back of his press chief, who is a former BBC TV correspondent, was strengthened by publication of notes kept by Mr Sixsmith as he tried to negotiate terms for his exit last week.

According to BBC2's Newsnight, the notes quote Sir Richard as telling Mr Sixsmith that Byers had 'invested so much face in this that his credibility is very much on the line.

'He's also made a firm promise to Jo (Moore) that if she stepped down he would get your head to roll as well.' The Sixsmith dossier is quoted in detail below.

It is rare for a Cabinet Minister who has been caught out lying to keep his job. But far from clearing his desk yesterday, Mr Byers went straight from his Commons showdown to Number 10 with a smiling Sir Richard.

And last night Mr Blair underlined his support. He said: 'I'm not prepared to sack ministers just because people tell me to. Where wrongdoing has been proven ministers have gone, but as far as I'm concerned Stephen Byers has done nothing that merits me taking his job away.

'I will only take a decision like that if it is based on facts, not innuendo.'

Mr Blair's official spokesman said: 'The Prime Minister wanted to underline his support for Stephen Byers and for Sir Richard Mottram by meeting them this afternoon.

'These have obviously been difficult times for the department, but he believes they have both made the right decisions.' Mr Sixsmith said last night that he felt Mr Byers was 'fighting for his political life' but welcomed his apology for misleading the public.

'This is a big step forward. We are getting closer to understanding what really went on.'

He said he regretted some of the 'gratuitous insults' levelled at him by his boss.

'This should not degenerate into a slanging match, but he is a man fighting for his political survival so perhaps his intemperate language is understandable,' he said.

'Clearly some of the charges he brought against me would be very damaging were he to make them outside the Chamber, where he has Parliamentary privilege.'